{"id":335262,"date":"2026-01-31T18:07:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T23:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/don-lemon-said-he-was-just-a-journalist-at-church-protest-his-own-livestream-tells-a-different-story"},"modified":"2026-01-31T18:07:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T23:07:16","slug":"don-lemon-said-he-was-just-a-journalist-at-church-protest-his-own-livestream-tells-a-different-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/don-lemon-said-he-was-just-a-journalist-at-church-protest-his-own-livestream-tells-a-different-story","title":{"rendered":"Don Lemon Mentioned He Was ‘Only a Journalist’ at Church Protest. His Personal Livestream Tells a Totally different Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon<\/a> was arrested by federal agents Thursday night in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards. The charges stem from a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators disrupted a Sunday service over claims that one of the church\u2019s pastors works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.<\/p>\n

Lemon, 59, was taken into custody Thursday night. A grand jury was empaneled that same day, according to a source familiar with the matter. The specific charges Lemon faces have not been publicly confirmed.<\/p>\n

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At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.<\/p>\n

More details soon.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018I\u2019m a Journalist\u2019<\/h2>\n

His attorney, Abbe Lowell, immediately pushed back on the arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,\u201d Lowell said in a statement. \u201cThe First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the protest itself, Lemon made similar statements to churchgoers who questioned his presence.<\/p>\n

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WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Journalist Don Lemon is arrested after protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church. pic.twitter.com\/Y7U0bDwgjG<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just here photographing, I\u2019m not part of the group\u2026 I\u2019m a journalist,\u201d Lemon said in his livestream when confronted by a parishioner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not here as an activist. I\u2019m here as a journalist,\u201d he added at another point.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Whole Point Is to Disrupt\u2019<\/h2>\n

But other comments from that same livestream have raised questions about how neatly Lemon\u2019s actions fit into traditional journalism.<\/p>\n

During his broadcast, Lemon described the demonstration as a \u201cclandestine mission\u201d and appeared to have advance knowledge of what would unfold.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a clandestine mission,\u201d Lemon told viewers. \u201cI think they found out one of, according to them\u2026 that one of the pastors here is a member of ICE, so here we go.\u201d<\/p>\n

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DON LEMON & Protesters stormed a Minneapolis church chanting anti-ICE slogans, wrongly believing the pastor was ICE-affiliated.<\/p>\n

Church is no longer safe for peaceful worship. Disgraced ex-CNN host Don Lemon harassed pastors & parishioners on live, refused to leave when asked\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/eoVo00CfZZ<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wX0OKDgnwR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Culture War Report (@CultureWar2020) January 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He also offered commentary that some argue went beyond neutral observation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be willing to go into places and disrupt and make people uncomfortable. That\u2019s what this country is about,\u201d Lemon said during the broadcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole point of it is to disrupt and make people uncomfortable,\u201d he added, defending the protesters\u2019 tactics.<\/p>\n

DOJ\u2019s Case Against Him<\/h2>\n
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When life gives you lemons\u2026 \u26d3\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/wxry0fudOj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Justice Department has seized on these statements. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ\u2019s Civil Rights Division, argued that journalism doesn\u2019t provide immunity from criminal liability.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility,\u201d Dhillon said in an interview. \u201cHe went into the facility, and then he began \u2018committing journalism,\u2019 as if that\u2019s sort of a shield from being a part, an embedded part, of a criminal conspiracy. It isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest Friday morning on social media, stating that federal agents arrested Lemon and three others \u201cin connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Legal Battle Already in Motion<\/h2>\n
\"Abbe\"Assistant
Image credit: @MAGAVoice\/X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The arrest came despite two previous court setbacks for prosecutors. A federal magistrate judge initially refused to approve charges against Lemon, and a three-judge appeals panel rejected the government\u2019s request to override that decision. However, one of the appellate judges indicated he believed probable cause existed.<\/p>\n

A grand jury was empaneled Thursday, and Lemon was taken into custody that night. He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in California on Friday.<\/p>\n

Lemon had remained defiant in the days before his arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep trying. That\u2019s not going to stop me from being a journalist. That\u2019s not going to diminish my voice,\u201d Lemon said on his YouTube show last week after the initial charges were rejected. \u201cGo ahead, make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel, if you want. Just do it. Because I\u2019m not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Sparked the Protest<\/h2>\n

Lowell condemned the arrest as \u201can unprecedented attack on the First Amendment\u201d and a \u201ctransparent attempt to distract attention\u201d from the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this month.<\/p>\n

The church protest occurred eleven days after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, in Minneapolis on January 7. The incident sparked widespread protests and remains a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the Trump administration\u2019s immigration enforcement tactics.<\/p>\n

Lemon is due in court Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n